Chu Dong Tu- Tien Dung festival honours legendary immortal love

The palanquin procession at Chu Dong Tu-Tien Dung festival in Tu Nhien commune, Thuong Tin district, Hanoi. (Photo: VNA)

Hung Yen (VNA) – The Chu Dong Tu - Tien Dung festival, also known as the “Love” festival, is annually held on February 10-12 of the lunar calendar (March 1 - 3) by nine villages in Khoai Chau and Van Giang districts in the northern province of Hung Yen.

The festival honours the legendary immortal love between fisherman Chu Dong Tu and Princess Tien Dung – daughter of the 18th King Hung (300-200 BC).

According to legend, Chu Dong Tu was so poor that he and his father shared a loincloth. When his father died, he buried the loincloth with his father’s body. Thus, he had nothing to wear. He usually immersed himself in water, catching fish and crabs to make a living.

At that time, Princess Tien Dung was a person who liked traveling very much instead of caring about getting married. One day, her dragon boat visited the countryside where Chu Dong Tu lived. Hearing the sound of drums and flutes, and seeing a crowd, Chu Dong Tu panicked and quickly buried himself in the sand to hide.

The boat stopped at the shore, Princess Tien Dung went for a walk and asked servants to prepare curtains to cover when she took a bath. By accident, the place where the Princess took a bath was the place where Chu Dong Tu was hiding. The water gradually poured down to reveal Chu Dong Tu's body in the sand. Tien Dung was surprised, asking for an explanation. Hearing Chu Dong Tu’s story, the princess wanted to get married to him.

The couple lived a simple and happy life together, traveling and helping people.

One evening, finding nowhere to stay, the couple plugged a stick into the ground and put their hats on, and rested together. Suddenly, at midnight there emerged a magnificent palace. Hearing that Chu Dong Tu-Tien Dung had a palace, his father suspected that the couple wanted to go against him, so he sent troops to fight.

Princess Tien Dung did not resist her father. That night, both the castle and the couple Chu Dong Tu-Tien Dung flew to the sky. A big storm and whirlwinds left that land a lagoon, later called Nhat Da lagoon.

Since then, Da Hoa temple was built in the place where Chu Dong Tu and Tien Dung met each other for the first time. Meanwhile, Hoa Da Trach Temple was built in the place where the couple flew to the sky.

People remember the couple’s help and honoured Chu Dong Tu as one of the four immortal saints that Vietnamese people worship. Chu Dong Tu is considered the person who brings people prosperity and happiness.

He is worshiped in many places in the lower part of the Red River Delta. Currently, 62 temples are worshipping Chu Dong Tu in Hanoi, Hung Yen, Nam Dinh, Ha Nam, and Thai Binh.

Among them, the most popular are Da Hoa temple and Da Trach temple in Khoai Chau district, Hung Yen province, and the national historic relic site of Dinh Thuong-Dinh Ha- Gia Ngu area in Tu Nhien commune, Hanoi’s suburban district of Thuong Tin district.

Da Hoa and Hoa Da Trach temple festivals were recognised as national intangible cultural heritage on February 2, 2023.

Dragon dance is performed at Da Hoa temple, Binh Minh commune, Khoai Chau district (Photo: VNA)

During the festival, traditional rituals are held including a palanquin procession of Saint Chu Dong Tu from Phu Trach village, Me So commune, Van Giang district to the main temple of Da Hoa. Leading the procession is a 20m-long dragon which performs to drum beats.

The procession goes about 4km through eight other villages which has its palanquin carrying team to participate in the great procession so the exciting festive atmosphere prevails over the whole area.

When the procession arrives at Da Hoa temple, the rite of fetching water from the Red River to offer the Saint is solemnly held. Within the framework of the festival, there are also cultural, artistic, and sports activities such as folk games, swimming contests, chess, badminton, dragon dance, singing ca tru, quan ho, and chau van.

Especially, every three years, Chu Dong Tu – Tien Dung festival in Hung Yen province is held on a large scale, known as one of the 16 largest festivals in the country./.